For a man who is used to preparing for a new season pounding the tarmac, spending the last few weeks in water hasnt been easy. Swimming has been a major part of Mark Englishs return to fitness since a foot injury (thanks to running over a pothole) forced his withdrawal from the World Indoor Championships in March.The 23-year-old Sky Academy Sports Scholar and 800m runner opens up about his season preparation and love affair with athletics.... .Im optimistic about the summer. The challenge since the injury has been finding ways to keep fit so when I return to training properly I can focus on finding my rhythm again.Im hungrier than ever to put on my spikes and leave the swimming goggles behind. I have a 600m race planned for Birmingham on June 6 but Ill need to see how the injury progresses.I really hope I can race in Amsterdam at the European Championships, but it isnt the priority. The Olympics come first, and I wont do anything that would put my race preparations for Rio in jeopardy.Fighting back to fitness got me thinking about what makes my sport so great. So I wrote a few words..... Sebastian Coe beats fierce rival Steve Ovett in the 1500m final at the 1980 Moscow Olympics 1. RIVALRIESThe IAAF and meet directors are really trying to promote head-to-heads this year and it is needed if they want to return to the Seb Coe vs Steve Ovett and Linford Christie vs Carl Lewis days.Essentially, its about creating the right story around it and allowing people to naturally choose sides.Take the Coe-Ovett rivalry. This was pitted as a good boy vs bad boy rivalry. The public were intrigued because they were a Coe or an Ovett fan. Similarly, you were a Linford Christie or Carl Lewis fan.And its no surprise to watch these showdowns and see packed-out stadiums. Last year, we saw huge interest in Usain Bolt vs Justin Gatlin in Beijing. Everyone loves a good ol showdown.2. DRAMAAnything can and does happen. Even the overwhelming favourites have a capacity to bottle and its an irresistible sight to watch. Take John Treacys victory over Ovett - otherwise known as that arrogance personified video on YouTube.The mud lark Treacy out-leans a celebrating Ovett who clearly thought he had the race sewn up. Youd be hard pressed to pick a better video to teach someone that it aint over till its over.3. THE PAIN IS RELATABLEI have to put my hands up and admit that before I was 10, I wouldnt run more than a mile. I wondered what the point was.Grabbing a football and using jumpers as goalposts seemed more fun than running around in circles. But then I had to run cross-country and experienced a whole new world of pain.Then came the fun run 5k and 10k races at local Turkey Trots. After grinding my way through those races, I could only imagine what marathoners had to put their bodies through on a daily basis.From then on, I went from switching the channel when a marathon came on, to empathising with the pain, focus and the slog. And those who have run any of these races will know what Im on about. Irelands David Gillick overcame the fashion conscious Bastian Swillims to be 2007 European indoor champion 4. NATIONAL GLORYTheres a huge surge of national pride anytime someone does well on the big stage. I know I felt incredibly proud watching David Gillick (400m) and hurdler Derval ORourke winning their indoor titles over the years. The arenas can be viewed as proving grounds, where nations seek to get one up on each other.I remember very well when Gillick beat the German athlete Bastian Swillims (donning a very eccentric one-piece suit) to win the European indoors in 2006.5. SIZES FOR EVERYONE Athletics is a sport that caters for all sizes.Its fascinating to walk around the dining hall at a Diamond League meeting and note the difference between the lean marathoners and the muscled shot-putters. No other sport has such a vast array of sizes.6. SUMMER MEETSA few of my mates came along to the Morton Games two years ago. This is an athletics meeting held in July in Santry, Dublin. They werent regulars at athletics meets but they thoroughly enjoyed it.From the exciting commentary trackside to great weather and track records - its a great place to chill in the summer. You dont even need to fully understand athletics to enjoy watching it.Im sure if I went to watch an NFL game, I wouldnt have a Scooby Doo what was going on, but Id still have a great time munching on some popcorn - its a well-sold package.Athletics could do even more to package itself along these lines, but meets like the Morton Games lead the way when it comes to entertainment and carnival-type atmospheres. Usain Bolt storms to victory for Jamaica at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia 7. RELAYSThe best sporting event I have ever been to without doubt has been the Penn Relays. Its the oldest and largest track meet in the United States. Its a mixture of high school, college, university and elite events, attracting 15,000 competitors over five days.The atmosphere is fascinating. The crowd usually tops 10,000 on the final day, many of them Jamaican. And when the USA vs the World relays begin, theres huge passion. Everyone loves getting behind a team.Invariably, there will be at least one race where the leader is hunted down over the last few strides. Its a refreshing reminder of whats beautiful about relays in general - displays of pure desire, guts and pride.WHATS COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS19 - 27 MAY: Savannah Marshall, World Championships in Kazakhstan22 - 30 MAY: Sam Oldham, Europan Gymnastics Championships in Switzerland Also See: About the Scholarship Meet the athletes Blogs Videos Galleries Maillot NGolo Kante France . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. Maillot Foot Equipe De France 2018 . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. http://www.maillotdefootequipedefrance.fr/maillot-de-foot-djibril-sidibe.html . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Maillot Hugo Lloris Equipe De France . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Maillot Thomas Lemar . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. Australia have claimed the inaugural womens rugby sevens gold medal on day three of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with a 24-17 victory over New Zealand in the final in Rio.The Australians entered the womens competition as raging gold medal favourites and they didnt disappoint -- stretching the countys gold medal tally to four.Star guards Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills combined for 49 points in a 95-80 win over Serbia on Monday as Australia took a giant stride towards a top-two group finish in the Olympic mens basketball competition.The Boomers will now meet the all-conquering United States on Thursday and are confident of challenging the world champions.In the swimming pool, Australia have suffered two devastating defeats with Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm both missing a medal in their respective 100m backstroke finals.Larkin and Seebohm, pool deck partners, went into the meet as hot race favourites having each completed the 100m-200m backstroke double at the 2015 world championships in Kazan, Russia, but they suffered double disappointment after each lead at the turn.Larkin finished fourth behind winner Ryan Murphy of the United States, while Seebohm slumped to seventh in her race.The Rio Olympics will be Alicia Coutts swimming farewell but she could go out in style after qualifying sixth-fastest for the 200m individual medley semi-finals.Coutts, who won five medals at the London Games, matching Ian Thorpe and Shane Gould for most medals by an Australian at one Olympics, was second in her heat.Just knowing that I have got nothing to lose, Im here to give it everything I have got and after this event I have other things to look forward to.Emma McKeon and Bronte Barratt are through to the womens 200m freestyle final after touching the wall in second and fourth in the first semi while Grant Irvine clocked the fourth best time ahead of the mens 200m butterfly semis.A last-gasp shot and four goals from Richie Campbell helped Australia snatch a 9-9 draw in their clash with water polo powerhouse Hungary.Samantha Stosur has marched into the third round of the womens singles with a straight sets win at the Olympic tennis centre.The top-seeded Australian eliminated Japans Misaki Doi 6-3 6-4. Stosur will next face German second seed and Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber.John Millman has blown a massivve chance to join Stosur in the third round of the Olympic tennis singles, almost toppling fourth seed Kei Nishikori.dddddddddddd The Australian was beaten?7-6 (7-4) 6-4, but does leave Rio as the first player in Olympic history to win a match?6-0 6-0 -- after his round one drubbing of?Lithuanian Ricardis Berankis.Jessica Fox has progressed to the semi-finals of the K1 canoe slalom after finishing second in her qualification runs at the Rio Olympics.Foxs penalty-free second run gave her a score of 99.51, leaving her just behind fastest qualifier Stefanie Horn (99.07) from Italy at the Whitewater Stadium in Deodoro on Monday.Australias mens four is also into Wednesdays semi-finals as they moved a step closer to toppling Britains dominance of the event when they posted the fastest time in Tuesdays heats.Australia sits in the box seat for double equestrian gold with one round left of the three day eventing at the Rio Games with Chris Burton leading the individual rankings and Australia on top of the teams event with the show jumping to finish off the competition.In rowing, the Australian mens four have moved a step closer to reviving the Oarsome Foursome tag after posting the fastest heat time at Lagoa Stadium.Veteran Australian rower Kerry Hore had to be consoled by her teammates as the devastation of missing the womens quad scull Olympic final set in.The Australians missed the medal race by a heart-breaking 0.06 seconds, bringing an end to four-time Olympian Hores rowing career.Hore broke down in tears during the post-race interview with her teammates supporting the sobbing Tasmanian.This wasnt how I pictured finishing up, the 35-year-old said.Australian sailor Ashley Stoddart has finished eighth in her first race in the Laser Radial in Rio.Adam Vella has admitted the controversy around the selection of Australias male trap shooters played a part in their disappointing performance at the Rio Olympics.Three-time Olympian Vella confirmed his Games career was over after finishing 12th while teammate Mitchell Iles was 26th.Meanwhile, Australia is last in Pool B in womens hockey after the Hockeyroos suffered a 2-1 loss to the USA following their opening defeat against Great Britain. 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